Well Mattel is continuing the reissue trend this month with several figures getting a re-release. So get out the melted butter, it's time to take a look at the original Mr. Crabs himself; Clawful!

Clawful comes packaged in the standard MOTUC packaging, with the back of the box showing off other figures in the line, all evil warriors, and offering up a bio that shows how the character is portrayed in the new continuity.

Okay, seriously, I can accept that Clawful's race can communicate through series of claw clicks, but the 200X episode this idea came from clearly showed it was a method of long distance communication, like Morris Code, and they could talk normal. It is an interesting twist in how he was once dull witted and was made smarter. In the Filmation cartoon Clawful was actually portrayed as one of the smarter evil warriors but in 200X he was portrayed as being ridiculously stupid. I mean really, REALLY stupid. Supposedly there was a planned episode for the unmade third season where he would be made smarter, though from what I head it would be a one episode deal. Either way this is a good way to merge continuities together. (even if Evil-Lyn has to do all the work as usual)

Now let's look at the figure itself:

Clawful is based about 98% on his vintage figure look. One of the only 200X influences is in the paint job on his shoulders where the color fades from the red to tan on his arms. The figure's sculpt is the same as Whiplash and Buzz-Off's for most of it. This was a good choice as the vintage figure had two variants. One had bumpy Whiplash legs the other had normal Skeletor legs. Going the Whiplash route was a good choice in my opinion as it makes him more creature like.

His left arm is the same as Buzz-Off with the ridged forearm and claw, His right arm, of course, has a new very short forearm piece and is mostly his hand, which is his giant claw. The claw does not have the lever like the vintage figure, but is designed so when pulled open it snaps back, and actually creates a clicking sound. There is a swivel joint at the wrist, sort of. The claw can rotate around and is actually designed to come off. You actually have to take it off if you want to remove his armor.

The vintage figure's armor really looked like straight up armor while the 200X looked more like an actual shell. The Classics version sort of blends the looks. The shell look is very apparent in the back, though you can really see the four pegs where it connects. I kind of wish these had been better hidden or blended into the design. Once you pop off his claw and the back shell you slip the armor down over his shoulders and off his arms. This allows you to see the full torso that I want to talk about.

It may look brand new at first, but this is actually the same torso that was used on Whiplash and Buzz-Off. However those two had extra pieces glued on over it. Here we can finally see the full torso and how it is scaly all over. This was a great design route by the Horsemen as it really opens the doors for using the same torso for many characters. I can see this torso being used if we ever get to Lizzor from the NA line. Or maybe even Saurod.

The head sculpt is done with the same scaly design so it blends together perfectly and really helps Clawful stand out as a new creature. A lot of fans say the vintage figure looks more like a guy wearing a luchador mask. Now some fans have complained that his big eyebrows and expression make him too goofy and almost Muppet like in appearance. As an avid fan of both MOTU and Muppets, I don't agree and think it is a perfect update of the vintage head, and I love that the teeth were actually painted in this time. An alternate more 200X head wouldn't have been a bad thing to include though, but of course Mattel's anti-200X head policy put a stop to that.

For accessories Clawful comes with his classic green club, which fits in his left hand very well unlike the vintage figure. It can be gripped in his big claw but the grip is not very tight. While it is similar to the ones that came with Moss Man or the Guards and weapons rack, it is actually a new sculpt that is slightly longer and has a sea shell like design on the bottom. It actually looks more like the 200X club than the vintage. He also has a brand new shield which is sculpted like a crab shell. It clips onto his arm pretty good but because of the large claw can only go on his left arm.

Next to the vintage figure you can really see how the Classics version is modeled almost exclusively on that look. You can also see what I was saying about the variants as my vintage Clawful has the Skeletor legs. Still I think this was a great update that sticks to the general look, while fleshing out details to make him more unique and cool looking.

Next to the 200X version... big difference! Clawful was really beefed up to be a powerhouse strong guy in the 200X line. You can see how the head has ridges over the eyes instead of eyebrows and why some fans prefer this look. I can see their point but the eyebrows really don't bother me.

Clawful is a classic MOTU villain and really looks great among the other evil warriors so I would recommend him for any MOTU fan. Clawful will be available on Mattycollector.com on March 15 but is not part of the Mad Matty March sale. Until next time, Good Journey.

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